Cr–V substituted nanospinel oxides as efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction

In this work, a novel Co_0.5Ni_0.5Cr_xV_2-xO₄ (x ≤ 0.04) electronanocatalyst was prepared using a facile hydrothermal approach for the first time. Impressively, the Co_0.5Ni_0.5Cr_xV_2-xO₄ electronanocatalyst greatly regulates electron reconfiguration by varying the composition ratio and enhances the reaction kinetics. It also ensures superior hydrogen adsorption energy and an improved number of catalytic species in the material. Profiting from the merits described above, the configured Co_0.5Ni_0.5Cr_xV_2-xO₄ (x = 0.02) electronanocatalyst has showed exceptional HER activity and produced an overpotential of 227 mV at −10 mA/cm² with a small Tafel value of 86 mV/dec in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄. The catalyst's durability is maintained at a steady current rate of 10 mA cm⁻² even after 18h of operation. The overall experimental findings showcase a feasible approach for exploring the potential of the nonprecious metal-based Co_0.5Ni_0.5Cr_xV_2-xO₄ (x ≤ 0.04) elecronanocatalyst towards alkaline HER.